An engine of a vehicle may be automatically stopped without a driver providing input to a device that has a sole purpose or function of stopping engine rotation so that fuel may be conserved (e.g., engine stop/start devices). Fuel may be conserved when the engine is automatically stopped since the engine does not consume fuel when it is not operating. However, if the engine is restarted immediately after it is stopped, the fuel reduction may be less than desired. Further, the driver may be annoyed that the engine has stopped and is being restarted so quickly after being stopped. Thus, automatically stopping an engine may conserve fuel, but it may also be less than desirable during some driving conditions. Present implementation schemes for engine stop/start devices provide a switch for a driver override that inhibits the automatic engine stop feature. However, there may be conditions when the driver wishes to override the engine stop functionality only once, or desires to override the engine stop feature without looking away from the vehicle's route to locate and active the switch.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages of automatic engine stopping and have developed a method for operating an engine, comprising: inhibiting automatic engine stopping in response to a secondary application or increased application of vehicle brakes following an initial application of vehicle brakes, the secondary application or increased application of vehicle brakes occurring after the initial application of vehicle brakes and without vehicle brakes being fully released.
By allowing a driver to communicate to an engine stop/start controller via application of vehicle brakes, it may be possible to reduce the possibility of aggravating the driver during conditions where the driver may have more information than the vehicle engine controller regarding whether or not conditions are desirable for automatically stopping the engine. For example, a driver of a vehicle may notice that traffic lights for opposing traffic are about to change and give right of way to the driver. The driver may apply vehicle brakes in a prescribed manner that allows the driver to communicate with the automatic engine stop controller so that automatic engine stopping is inhibited in response to the driver applying vehicle brakes. As a result, the vehicle may accelerate in a more timely manner when automatic engine stopping is inhibited, thereby improving driver satisfaction.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach may improve driver satisfaction. Additionally, the approach may save fuel when fuel consumption may be increased by stopping and engine and restarting the engine shortly thereafter. Further, the approach may provide the driver improved vehicle control as compared to other systems where the driver cannot communicate with the engine stop controller.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.